Piston bugle



Nov. 3, 1936. w, M FRANK 2,059,450

PI STON BUGLE FiIed April 19, 1935 Patented Nov. 3, 1936 PATENT OFFICEPISTON BUGLE Wilbur M. Frank, Chicago, Ill., assignor to William FrankCompany, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application April 19,

7 Claims.

The invention relates to piston bugles and more specially to an improvedarrangement for locking the pistons of such bugles in definite positionto prevent manipulation thereof when desired, which is of simpleconstruction and highly efiicient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a, lockingarrangement of the character indicated, so constructed and arranged asto prevent manipulation thereof during contests.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a piston bugle equipped with a lockingarrangement embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, an enlarged partial similar view showing the locking arrangementon a larger scale.

Fig. 3, a side view of the locking arrangement detached; and

Fig. 4, an end view corresponding with Fig. 3.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing comprises anordinary piston bugle equipped with the usual valve casing l containingthe usual spring held piston valve operable by the usual valve stem I lprotruding from one end of the casing 10 and equipped with the usualoperating head I2 as shown.

The piston bugle proper is an old and well known construction andarrangement for the purpose, and constitutes no part of the presentinvention except in so far as the parts thereof cooperate with thelocking arrangement to be presently described.

The locking arrangement comprises a clamping member [3 in the form of asplit ring adapted to embrace and clamp the casing l0 and formed of twoparts hingedly connected at l4 for the purpose. The free ends of thering parts are provided with perforated bosses l5 and IS, the boss l5being smooth, and the boss l6 being threaded for the reception of aclamping screw 11, having an enlarged operating head IB as shown. Bythis arrangement a clamping member is provided which may be readilyattached to or detached from the piston valve casing Ill.

One of the clamp members I3 is provided as shown, with a lateral loop orstrap 19, in which the base of an arm 20 is rigidly secured. The arm 20is arranged to project as shown substantially parallel to the stem IIand at its outer end is 1935, Serial No. 17,228

provided with an inward extending locking projection 2| adapted andarranged to engage against the inner and outer sides of the piston stemhead l2 to lock the piston valve in either of its operative positions.The arrangement is such that a when the piston valve is in one of itsoperative positions with the operating head l2 extended to its fullestextent, the locking projection 2| may be adjusted to engage against theinner side of the head I2 and lock said head and piston valve in that 10position as indicated by the full lines in Fig. 2. When it is desired tolock the piston valve in the other of its operative positions, the clampI3 is removed, the head [2 depressed into the dotted line positionindicated in Fig. 2, and the clamping member replaced on the casing [0to cause the locking projection 2| to engage against the outer side ofthe head l2 as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and whereby thepiston valve is held in the other of its operative positions, which willbe readily understood by those skilled in this art. It is to be notedthat the two locked positions of the piston valve are thus controlled bythe combined thicknesses of the head l2 and the locking projection 2! sothat obviously these thicknesses must be made substantially equal to theeffective operative stroke of the piston valve. It is also to be notedthat the clamping screw I1 is relatively short in length with referenceto the extent of the engagement of the locking projection 2| with thehead l2, so that said clamping screw must be entirely disengaged fromthe boss IS in order to remove the locking projection 2i from engagementwith the head I2. This arrangement, therefore, necessitates removal ofthe clamp in order to change the adjustment of the valve piston, thusrequiring the use of both hands in effecting such a change. In actualuse these bugles are often used in bugle contests and tests in which useof the piston valve is not permitted, and this arrangement, therefore,prevents unauthorized or surreptitious use of the piston valve duringsuch contests. The specific form and arrangement of parts is a simpleand effective one for the purpose.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying the invention into efiect, this is capable ofvariation and modification without departing from the spirit of theinvention, I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails disclosed, but desire to avail myself of such variations andmodifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a piston bugle having a piston valve casing, apiston valve operating therein, and a piston stem protruding therefromand provided with a head at its outer end, of means engaging said headfor locking said piston valve in either of its operative positions.

2. The combination with a piston bugle having a piston valve casing, a.piston valve operating therein, and a piston stem protruding therefromand provided with a head at its outer end, of means engaging the innerand outer sides of said head for locking said piston valve in either ofits operative positions.

3. The combination with a piston bugle having a piston valve casing, apiston valve operating therein, and a piston stem protruding therefromand provided with a head at its outer end, of a clamp detachablyembracing and engaging said casing, an arm on said clamp provided with alocking projection engaging the inner and outer sides of said head forlocking said piston valve in either of its operative positions, thecombined thicknesses of said head and projection substantially equallingthe eifective operative stroke of said piston valve.

4. The combination with a piston valve casing, a piston valve operatingtherein, and a piston stem protruding therefrom and provided with a headat its outer end, of a clamp in the form of a split ring having twoparts adapted to embrace the periphery of the casing, hinged together atone side and provided at their free ends with perforated bosses, one ofwhich is smooth and the other threaded; a clamping screw passing throughthe smooth boss and engaging the threaded boss; and an arm on said clampprojecting substantially parallel to said stem and provided with aninwardly extending locking projection engaging the inner and outer sidesof said head for locking said piston valve in either of its operativepositions, the combined thicknesses of said head and projectionsubstantially equalling the effective operative stroke 01' said pistonvalve, and the length of said clamping screw being such that it willdisengage its threaded boss before said locking projection disengagessaid piston stern head.

5. A look for a piston bugle comprising a clamp adapted and arranged toembrace and engage detachably the piston casing; and means on said clampadapted and arranged to engage the head of the piston stem for lockingthe piston in either of its operative positions.

6. A look for a piston bugle comprising a clamp adapted and arranged toembrace and engage detachably the piston casing; and an arm on saidclamp projecting substantially parallel to said stern and provided withan inwardly extending locking projection adapted and arranged to engagethe inner and outer sides of the head of the piston stem for locking thepiston in either of its operative positions the combined thickness ofsaid head projection substantially equalling the effective operativestroke of said piston valve.

7. A lock for a piston bugle comprising a locking arm attached to thepiston casing and provided with an inwardly extending locking projectionadapted and arranged to engage the inner and outer sides of the head ofthe piston stem for locking the piston in either of its operativepositions, the combined thicknesses of said head and projectionsubstantially equalling the effective operative stroke of said pistonvalve.

